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The Swiss government has given five firms the green-light to build new electric vehicle charging stations at 100 rest areas along the country's motorways.

The first 25 such stations should be built within the next 12 months with the remainder to follow within a decade, the Federal Roads Office (FEDRO) said in a statement on Thursday.

The move to help create a nationwide network of charging stations is part of an attempt by the Swiss government to boost the number of electric cars on Swiss roads in line with environmental targets.

Less than 2 percent of all new car registrations in Switzerland are for electric vehicles. Last year, the Swiss government said it wanted to raise this figure to 15 percent by 2022.

Under the plans unveiled on Thursday, each of the five firms awarded concessions to build the new charging stations in Switzerland has been allocated a range of more lucrative and less lucrative locations.

FEDRO says each charging station will have a set-up cost of around half a million Swiss francs. The agency is to finance the initial installation and firms will pay back this amount when the stations are operational.

Four of the firms awarded concessions to build the charging stations are Swiss and one is Dutch. The concessions have a lifespan of 30 years.

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